Saturday, May 9, 2026 8:34:42 AM

Just hours after agreeing to a ceasefire, Russia launched a barrage of attacks on Ukraine using drones and a ballistic missile, according to Ukraine’s Air Force Command.

In the early hours of May 9, as a three-day ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow went into effect, Russian forces carried out airstrikes across Ukraine. Ukraine’s Air Force Command reported on Facebook that Russian troops deployed 43 drones of various types and an “Iskander-M” ballistic missile in overnight assaults. The strike included not only attack drones such as “Shahed,” “Gerbera,” and “Italmas,” but also decoy drones known as “Parody,” aimed at distracting Ukrainian air defenses.

Ukrainian air defense managed to intercept and neutralize 34 Russian drones. Nevertheless, nine enemy attack drones struck six locations, with debris from downed drones falling in two additional areas. Authorities are still assessing the full impact of the attacks.

This latest wave of airstrikes comes despite a ceasefire brokered for May 9-11, an agreement mediated by U.S. President Donald Trump. The Kremlin’s overnight assault appears to have violated the temporary truce, raising the question of how Ukraine will respond. President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously stated that if Russia breaks a ceasefire, Ukraine will retaliate in kind.

Meanwhile, Russia is accusing Ukraine of breaking the three-day ceasefire. At 6:54 a.m. on May 9, Bryansk regional governor Alexander Bogomaz claimed that Ukrainian FPV drones attacked the village of Borshchovo, damaging a vehicle.

Ukraine had earlier offered to begin the ceasefire from May 6, 2026, but Russian President Vladimir Putin refused.

(C)UAWIRE 2026